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Updated: May 6, 2025
Hour after hour he'd ride ahead through scrub or forest, up hill or down dale, with that brute of a horse of his he called him 'Bilbah' ambling away, till our horses, except Rainbow, used to shake the lives out of us jogging. I believe he did it on purpose. He was a fine shot, and could catch fish and game in all sorts of ways that came in handy when we had to keep dark.
But the rest of us only come in with the mob, and soon as they was sold stashed the camp and cleared out different ways. Them three fellers is in Queensland long ago, and nobody was to know them from any other road hands. I was back with the old mare and Bilbah in mighty short time. I rode 'em night and day, turn about, and they can both travel.
He was riding Bilbah, and leading a well-bred, good-looking chestnut. He was one of the young ones out of the Hollow. He'd broken him and got him quiet. I remembered when I was there first spotting him as a yearling. I knew the blaze down his face and his three white legs. Warrigal jumps off Bilbah and throws down the bridle.
He took Warrigal's horse, Bilbah, back with him; he and Starlight was going off to the islands together, and couldn't take horses with them. But he was real sorry to part with the cross-grained varmint; I thought he was going to blubber when he saw father leading him off. Bilbah wouldn't go neither at first; pulled back, and snorted and went on as if he'd never seen only one man afore in his life.
The horses had had enough of it, too, though neither of them would give in, not if we'd ridden 'em twenty mile farther. As for Warrigal's Bilbah he was near as fresh as when he started, and kept tossin' his head an' amblin' and pacin' away as if he was walkin' for a wager round a ring in a show-yard.
But the devil himself could not beat him and that little brute Bilbah in rough country. 'I believe you, I said, thinking of our ride yesterday. 'It's quite bad enough to follow him on level ground. But don't you think our tracks will be easy to follow with a thousand head of cattle before us? Any fool could do that.
He went off at a hand-gallop, and then pulled back into a long darting kind of canter, which Bilbah thought was quite the thing for a journey anyhow, he never seemed to think of stopping it went on mile after mile as if he was not going to pull up this side of sundown. A wiry brute, always in condition, was this said Bilbah, and just at this time as hard as nails.
Off with you! He changed the saddle, and Warrigal hopped on to Bilbah, and led off Rainbow, who tossed his head, and trotted away as if he'd lots to spare, and hadn't had twelve hours under saddle; best part without a halt or a bait. I've seen a few good 'uns in my time, but I never saw the horse that was a patch on Rainbow, take him all round.
'All right, said Jim, putting the billy on; 'here's some damper and mutton to go on with while the tea warms. 'Wait till I hobble out Bilbah; he's as hungry as I am, and thirsty too, my word. 'Take some out of the barrel; we shan't want it to-morrow, said Jim.
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